Good morning everyone,
I have some exciting — and also – sad news to tell you today.
First, I am going to Bloomberg as a Senior Editor. And I am going to use that (much larger) platform to share my views on the macro economy and financial markets. I am really excited about it too. It’s a great team of people I am joining and so many resources to help me write good market and economic analysis. So that’s the good news, the really good news!
The sad news is that, as a part of that move — and after thirteen wonderful years writing Credit Writedowns — I am putting the site on hiatus. I just checked the site’s back end and it shows me having written nearly 8,000 posts in that 13 year period. Wow. My first post back in March 2008 was the one where I boldly proclaimed “The Economy Is Definitely In Recession”.
You may not know this but I started this site as a ‘hobby’ to recuperate after contracting Lyme Disease. I though it would be cool to put my thoughts to paper because it would help tease out what I was thinking about the macro outlook given the financial crisis that was brewing at the time. Then, a week later, Bear Stearns collapsed and I kept on writing and never looked back. It’s been a wild ride since then.
Now, don’t give up on me just because I won’t be posting here. You can follow along with my writing at Bloomberg. Now, a lot of what I write will be for the Bloomberg Terminal audience. But I will also have the opportunity to write for the Bloomberg website and potentially Bloomberg Business Week as well.
For those of you who are now or have been paying subscribers to the newsletter I started over 9 years ago, I want to say thank you for your support. Thank you for helping me do something I love and feel passionate about. I am humbled by the encouragement you have given me over the years. Your support has changed my life.
That’s about it for today. If you’re on a year’s subscription, expect a pro-rata refund since I am stopping. And for everyone, if you have any questions or comments, please shoot me an email at edh at creditwritedowns dot com.
I’ll see you over at Bloomberg.
Ed
A note to readers: Edward Harrison is joining Bloomberg Media starting next week. You can find out more about Bloomberg’s information practices by reviewing their privacy policy here. And if you no longer want to receive this newsletter or be on its mailing list, you can unsubscribe by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this email.
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Facts Only
Edward Harrison is joining Bloomberg as a Senior Editor.
He has written nearly 8,000 posts for Credit Writedowns over 13 years.
His first post in March 2008 declared "The Economy Is Definitely In Recession."
He started Credit Writedowns as a hobby while recovering from Lyme Disease.
Bear Stearns collapsed a week after he began writing, prompting him to continue.
He is putting Credit Writedowns on hiatus as part of his move to Bloomberg.
He will write for Bloomberg’s Terminal audience, website, and potentially Bloomberg Business Week.
He has run a paid newsletter for over 9 years.
Subscribers will receive pro-rata refunds for unused portions of their subscriptions.
Readers can contact him at edh at creditwritedowns dot com.
Bloomberg’s privacy policy is linked in the announcement.
Readers can unsubscribe from the newsletter via a link in the email.
Executive Summary
Edward Harrison, the founder of Credit Writedowns, is transitioning to a new role as a Senior Editor at Bloomberg, where he will focus on macroeconomic and financial market analysis. This move marks the end of his 13-year run writing for Credit Writedowns, a platform he started in 2008 as a personal project during his recovery from Lyme Disease. Over the years, he authored nearly 8,000 posts, beginning with a prescient call about the 2008 recession just before Bear Stearns collapsed. While he will no longer post on Credit Writedowns, he plans to continue sharing his insights through Bloomberg’s platforms, including its website and potentially Bloomberg Business Week. Subscribers to his newsletter will receive pro-rata refunds, and he has expressed gratitude for their support. The announcement also includes a note about Bloomberg’s privacy policy and an option for readers to unsubscribe from the newsletter.
The transition reflects both a career milestone and a shift in how Harrison’s analysis will be disseminated. His departure from Credit Writedowns is framed as a natural progression, leveraging Bloomberg’s resources to amplify his reach. The tone is bittersweet, acknowledging the end of an era while emphasizing new opportunities ahead.
Full Take
This announcement is a textbook example of a career transition framed as both an elevation and a reluctant farewell—a narrative that leverages nostalgia and credibility to smooth the shift. The strongest version of this story is that Harrison’s move to Bloomberg is a natural progression: a solo analyst joining a major platform to amplify his voice, backed by institutional resources. The emotional appeal is subtle but effective—gratitude for past support, excitement for the future, and a touch of melancholy for what’s ending. The inclusion of personal details (Lyme Disease, the Bear Stearns timing) humanizes him, reinforcing his authenticity as a commentator who was "right early" about the financial crisis.
Yet, the pattern scan reveals a few noteworthy tactics. The framing of the hiatus as inevitable ("as a part of that move") avoids framing it as a choice, which softens potential backlash from loyal readers. The emphasis on Bloomberg’s "much larger platform" and "so many resources" serves as both a justification and a credibility boost—an appeal to authority (ARC-0012 Appeal to Authority) that subtly positions his future work as more rigorous or impactful. The pro-rata refund offer is a small but effective gesture to maintain goodwill, while the unsubscribe link and privacy policy nod are standard compliance measures that also signal transparency.
The root cause here is the tension between independence and institutional affiliation. Harrison’s brand was built on being an outsider—someone who called the 2008 crisis early, unencumbered by corporate constraints. Now, he’s joining the establishment. The unstated assumption is that Bloomberg’s platform won’t dilute his voice, but history shows that institutional alignment often comes with subtle pressures (e.g., editorial oversight, audience expectations). The implications for readers are clear: they must decide whether to follow him to Bloomberg, where his analysis may be shaped by a different set of incentives.
Bridge questions: How might Harrison’s perspective shift now that he’s part of a major financial media institution? What voices or critiques might get sidelined in this transition? And for readers, what’s the trade-off between the depth of independent analysis and the reach of institutional platforms?
Counterstrike scan: If this were a coordinated influence campaign, the playbook would involve leveraging a trusted independent voice to lend credibility to a larger institution, using emotional appeals (gratitude, nostalgia) to ease the transition, and framing the move as an upgrade rather than a compromise. The actual content aligns with this pattern but doesn’t exceed normal career-move messaging. No red flags—just a savvy professional transition.